Exciting new interprovincial u.20 club rugby tournament another first for Blue Bulls

The Blue Bulls Rugby Union and UXi Sports International Rugby Institutes launched a unique new u.20 club rugby tournament last week. From left are Willem Strauss (president of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, Ronald Meeske (CEO of CTU Training Solutions), Thea Miller, (COO of UXi Sport) and Jake White (Director of Rugby at the Bulls).

An innovative new u.20 club rugby tournament, which has the potential to take club rugby at all levels back to heights last seen in the 1980s, was launched last week by the Bulls in collaboration with a well-known group in education and training.

The Blue Bulls Rugby Union and UXi Sports International Rugby Institutes launched a unique new u.20 club rugby tournament last week.

The two organizations worked together in creating the Cross-Border u.20 Club Competition.

This competition features 21 teams in three sections including North, South, and Central regions from the Blue Bulls, Lions, Pumas, Griquas, Valke, Leopards, and Western Province Rugby Unions. The competition officially kicked off this past weekend.

After the league phase, the final will be contested on Saturday, 30 September, following the quarter-finals and semi-finals which will be played on the weekends of 16 and 23 September, respectively.

“At the BBRU (Blue Bulls Rugby Union) one of our strategic goals is to make club rugby relevant again. Research has shown that more than 90% of rugby players stop playing when they have left school. We hope that this competition will encourage more school leavers to join their local clubs and academies and that it will also be a pathway to provincial and even professional rugby for both players and coaches,” said Willem Strauss, President of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union.

Strauss emphasized that the Cross-Border u.20 Club Competition is an important addition to the rugby calendar and it will give young club players the opportunity and platform to showcase their skills and talent. He said this tournament is aimed at growing the game at community level by creating opportunities for late bloomers and non-contracted junior players in South Africa.

The sponsorship agreement allows for a hosting fee of R 50 000 for each participating club and R500 000 in prize money for the top-performing teams.

“Without sponsors no competition is possible. We are delighted that the partnership with UXi Sport is making this tournament possible. I would like to thank UXi Sport for their involvement in the competition and we hope that through the involvement of UXi Sport we can grow u.20 club rugby in South Africa,” Strauss remarked.

Thea Miller, COO of UXi Sport, said their aim is to create opportunities for young rugby players to develop their skills and fulfil their potential.

“The Cross-Border U20 Club Competition is a fantastic initiative that will enable us to do just that. Through this initiative, we support our local communities, who have been the backbone of club rugby talent, spectator support, and instrumental in the sports economy of South Africa,” Miller commented.

She said they want to dedicate this competition to every rugby player, especially those in the academy systems across the country, who have dreams and ambitions but are limited by not being afforded opportunities after school.

“My dream is that all Provincial Unions become part of this initiative,” Miller concluded.

Some of the matches will be live-streamed on the SuperSport Schools platforms.

For all Cross-Border U20 Club Competition enquiries, please contact the Tournament Director, Richard Janse van Rensburg at [email protected] or 082 673 3247.

Article from the Rekord: https://rekord.co.za/453642/exciting-new-interprovincial-u-20-club-rugby-tournament-another-first-for-blue-bulls/